'87 Ford Taures 3.0 V-6

Hi, I'm a backyard mechanic working on my aunts car..I have a no start,but cranking good,no spark condition on this Ford. I changed the coil,distributer module,distributer stator and swapped the ECM...I'm lost un this one and don't know what to do next, by the way the plugs are new too and all fuses are good too...How or what can I check next to try to get spark???.Thanks,.......... Dom G.

 

Start with the simple stuff.

Remove the dist. cap & make sure the rotor turns when the engine is cranked.

If the rotor turns, check for power to the red/lt. grn. wire at the ignition coil.

Let us know where that gets you & we'll go from there.

 

A couple of things come to mind. (1) See if you have battery voltage on the small wire at the coil, with the key on. If not check the ignition switch under the dash(electrical switch).(2) If the Negative battery cable has a small wire coming off of it make sure it's in good shape.The small wire is the computer ground.
Keep us posted on what you find!!

 

Dear Knuckles,
I want to thankyou for your suggestions, yes the rotor turns clockwise and I have 12.21 volts at the red/yellow terminal and also at the double wire green/yellow connector -to the coil, and ---------

Dear Ford Tech,
The ground was something I overlooked, but yes, it's in ok shape and with a light tester I was able to check both ground wires attached to the neg. battery cable, at various incriments both before and after the factory connector, then right into the wire harness. What the heck am I overloooking?-

-More desperate than ever---------What do you suggest next???....................................Thanks, Dom G.

 

Does this vehicle have a crank or cam sensor? If so I would start leaning in that direction.

 

Not to my knowledge. Old time trigger wheel or reluctor inside. No crank sensor. It's the old 3.0 vin U motor. Still used in the Taurus to date (it's called the Duratec I believe).

Have spark in and out of the coil? Might have gotten a bad part.

If memory serves me right, there's a fan relay/module on the radiator support on some Tauri/Sables . I think this plays into it somehow with regard to spark/injector pulse.

 

well you should check for power at your idle air control motor or egr valve solenoid wich ever one is easier to get to with the key on if you dont have power then your eec relay is not powering up as joe said there is an integrated relay box on top of the radiater under the plastic shroud that has the eec relay, fuel pump relay, a/c cutout relay all integrated into one box but they rarely go bad if you get a wiring diagram you can test and make sure you have your battery power and key on power out to it and you already checked the ground.
have you checked your fusible links at the starter solenoid by the battery you can test them with a test light or a better method just pull on them if they are bad they will stretch meaning the wire inside is burnt into and i believe there is also another fusible link just a little below the solenoid that doesnt actually bolt directly to the solenoid you need to check that one also.

 

Dear Knuckles,
I want to thankyou for your suggestions, yes the rotor turns clockwise and I have 12.21 volts at the red/yellow terminal and also at the double wire green/yellow connector -to the coil,

Ok, now attach the alligator clip end of your test light on the battery POSITIVE terminal. Probe the double green/yellow wire at the ignition coil while a helper tries to start the car. Your test light should blink.

If it does not blink, the problem is on the distributor side of the circuit (TFI module, Stator, wiring).

If it blinks, the coil, coil wire, dist. cap or rotor is bad.

Let us know what happens.

 

Change the rotor and cap as a matter of course. They are cheap tuneup items and should be changed to avoid misdiagnosis. If you can't remember when they were done or you see "Motorcraft" on them (likely original) out they go for new ones.

Now tell us if it starts .

 

Bejay;
Thanks for your suggestion-checking for power to airmap. and eec box...When I started checking that circuit...off the Starter Solenoid (supplying power-thru the fuseable links), I saw the wire and connectors were burnt-therefore-I had no spark or fuel.Thanks for pointing me in that direction...I am not familar with Fords power supply management.......................Dom g.